A Guide to the Best Historical Novels and Tales

"A Guide to the Best Historical Novels and Tales" by Jonathan Nield is a helpful book from the early 1900s that acts like a map to the world of historical fiction. It sorts many books into different time periods, starting way back before Jesus and going all the way to the 1800s. The author put this guide together after spending a lot of time reading and studying, and he wants to help teachers, students, and anyone who enjoys reading find their way through tons of historical stories. The book starts with an explanation of why the author made the guide and how he picked the books to include. He thinks it's important for historical novels to be correct about history, but he also knows that novelists can't show the past perfectly. The opening also shares thoughts from other people, like Carlyle's idea that historical stories should focus on people's lives, not just facts. This guide wants readers to see how fiction and history can come together, and to enjoy the learning and artistic value of historical novels. It gets readers ready for a big list of books, organized by time periods and featuring some of the most important writers in the genre.